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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 12, 2026

Monitoring Gut Acidification in the Adult Drosophila Intestine

Monitoring Gut Acidification in the Adult Drosophila Intestine

Published on: October 11, 2021

Cidaroids spines facing ocean acidification.

Aurélie Dery¹, Phuong Dat Tran¹, Philippe Compère²

¹Laboratoire de Biologie Marine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, avenue F.D. Roosevelt 50, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium.

Marine Environmental Research

|April 8, 2018

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Sea urchin spines resist dissolution in corrosive seawater due to dense cortex and protective biofilms. This study confirms these factors across diverse cidaroid species, highlighting their importance for marine invertebrate survival.

Keywords:

Benthos Epibionts Magnesium concentration Minerals Ocean acidification Sea urchin Spine

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Area of Science:

Marine Biology
Echinoderm Physiology
Biomineralization

Background:

Sea urchin spines face dissolution in calcium carbonate-undersaturated seawater.
Classical sea urchins (euechinoids) show spine corrosion despite epidermal covering.
Cidaroids, lacking epidermis on mature spines, appear more vulnerable.

Purpose of the Study:

Investigate the protective mechanisms of cidaroid spines against dissolution.
Determine the role of spine cortical layer density, magnesium concentration, biofilm, and epibionts.
Assess these protective factors across various cidaroid species, latitudes, temperatures, and depths.

Main Methods:

Comparative analysis of cidaroid spine structure and composition.
Microscopic examination of spine surfaces for biofilm and epibionts.
Dissolution experiments under varying seawater conditions (implied).

Main Results:

High density of the cortical layer is a key factor in spine protection.
Biofilm and epibiont cover significantly contribute to resistance against dissolution.
Low magnesium concentration in cidaroid spines generally reduces solubility compared to euechinoids.

Conclusions:

Cidaroid spines possess inherent resistance to dissolution due to cortical density and low magnesium content.
Epibiotic communities and biofilms provide crucial additional protection for cidaroid spines.
These combined factors are vital for cidaroid survival in challenging marine environments.